1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tennis ball holders, and, more particularly, to tennis ball holders which may be worn on the person of a game participant. The present invention, though designed specifically for carrying tennis balls, may be readily adapted for use with any relatively pliant game ball without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Normally in the game of tennis, each player holds at least one extra ball during the service strokes. If the first service stroke has successfully entered the service box of the opposing court the server may be caught unprepared holding an extra ball. If there is a "let" ball, the server must have a third ball. In either case there is a disadvantage. In the first case the player is holding too many balls which may interfere with mobility and in the second case the player does not have ready access to further balls which may slow play.
For example, it is impossible to play two-handed tennis, wherein the left hand assists the right arm and/or the right hand assists the left arm in swinging the racket during the backhand stroke because one hand is occupied in holding one or more tennis balls.
As a further problem, many people having relatively small hands, such as some women and children, cannot hold two balls at one time during serve. The extra balls must therefore be placed upon the groung or be thrown in by a ball retriever.
In addition, most women's tennis outfits and many men's tennis pants and warm-up suits are seldom made with pockets, so extra tennis balls cannot readily or comfortably be carried by the player during service or play. Furthermore, if the extra tennis balls are set on the ground, as for example near the court base line, a danger exists that the player responding to a successful return may trip and fall on loose tennis balls, thereby resulting in injury.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ball carriers and holders are known in the nature of cans, bags, pockets and boxes. For example, golf ball carriers are known comprising hollow tubular structures for carrying a column of hard balls wherein access openings in the side walls are normally smaller than enclosed balls, and wherein the walls are sufficiently pliant to permit an enclosed ball to pass through the openings. U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,299 exemplifies this structure. U.S. Pat. No. 3,717,282 discloses tubular dispensing structures employing springs biasing an enclosed article, such as a tennis or a golf ball adjacent an opening or mouth. These and other inventions include a flexible release or tongue which must deflect or flex to permit removal of the enclosed article.
Similarly British Patent Specification No. 636,833 teaches a holder for tennis balls comprising a length of stout resilient wire bent to define a pair of open loops joined by a connecting arm. The invention teaches means whereby a pair of tennis balls may firmly grip an article between the balls such as a racquet face.
In summary, the known prior art does not show or suggest a multiple-ball tubular tennis ball holder adapted to be attached to the person of a player permitting ready insertion and removal of an enclosed tennis ball, and particularly the known prior art does not show a tennis ball holder having substantially nondeformable mouth for retaining an enclosed tennis ball.